BRUSSELS bureaucrats were accused yesterday of “burying their heads in the sand” about voter anger after they launched a new £3.8billion raid on taxpayers’ pockets.

It came just days after elections to the European Parliament which saw a surge across Europe in support for anti-Brussels groups including Ukip.

Undeterred, the EU Commission announced in a brief statement it needed £3.8billion extra this year – of which £500million would come from Britain under budget allocations.

The extra was needed for employment and education projects including those which were set up after the 2014 budget was agreed, as well as to bankroll additional support for Ukraine.

Blaming member states, it also said they had submitted unexpectedly high claims for EU funds and also agreed to accelerate certain programmes.

The Commission claimed that because it could find money from other sources, the net cost to EU member states would be a “significantly lower” £1.8billion.

But its arguments cut no ice with critics.

Tory MP Peter Bone, who is spearheading a referendum of voters in Northamptonshire to measure support for leaving the EU, said: “These faceless Eurocrats must have been in a bunker when the EU elections were held.

"To say they have their heads stuck in the sand is an understatement.

I think we need to leave the EU

Douglas Carswell, Tory MP

"It is an example of what the Prime Minister said on Tuesday to the other EU leaders that Brussels is ‘too big, too bossy, too interfering’.”

Fellow Tory MP Douglas Carswell said: “Less than 72 hours after a clear victory for eurosceptics in Britain, it’s become ‘business as usual’ in Brussels and they want another £500million of our money.

“Who’s going to stand up to them?

"The EU system cannot be reasoned with.

"It’s not in its nature to say ‘no’ to itself and when we say ‘no’ to it, it refuses to understand.

“I think we need to leave the EU.

"Think what we could do with £500million.”

The UK Treasury said: “At a time when countries across Europe continue to take difficult decisions to deal with deficits, the European Commission should not be asking Europe’s taxpayers for yet more money.”

Over post-election talks in Brussels on Tuesday David Cameron insisted Europe could not “shrug off” voters’ verdict, and appeared to win the first skirmish over who will be new European Commission president.

The PM made clear he would not back Jean-Claude Juncker, of whom Ukip leader Nigel Farage says there is “nobody more fanatical about building the United State of Europe”.